How AI Search Ranking Actually Works

The most common mistake people make when they start thinking about AI search optimization is assuming it works like traditional search with a new interface on top. Same game, different board. That mental model is wrong in ways that matter — and the wrongness is expensive if it's shaping your strategy. AI search doesn't rank pages. It generates answers. Those are fundamentally different processes, and understanding the difference is the prerequisite for doing anything useful about your AI search visibility.